Process of and means for cooling internal-combustion engines



' :s sheets-sheet 1 @www Filed Oct. 11. 1924 MMMMMMAMM Mw-wwMw/w YPROCESS OF` AND MEANS FOR COOLING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Aug. 23,1927.

@Horne-1j g w. w. MulR PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOR COOLING INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 11. 1924 3 sheets-sheet 2 www . .1,639,745Aug. 23, 1921 W. W. Mum* PROCESS OF AND MEANS FOB COOLING INTERNALGOMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 1l, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v 1mm/nio@fyi/KIWI; 7

@Roz umg Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

uiten STATES WELLINGTON W. MUIR, OF LOCKPRT, NEW YORK.

PROCESS E AND MEANs Eon cooLiNG INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed October 11, 1924. Serial No. 743,158.

rlhis invention relates to a cooling system for internal combustionengines and a process ot operating the saine, and has for its object toimprove the constructions and procedures heretofore proposed. y

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel steps and combinations constituting the method or process and inthe novel parts and combinations of parts constitutingthe apparatus, allas will be more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed outin the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part oit thisspecification in which like numerals refer to like parts in all theviews Figure 1 is a. sectional view taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2,looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing a cooling system,partially broken away, made in accordance with this invention. y

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction oiC the arrows;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking inthe direction ot the arrows;

Figure 4lis a detail Sectional view ot the bottom portion ot theradiator showing a modilication ot the standpipe or controlling tank;Figure 5 is a detail sectional view show ing a modied form of connectionbetween thevcore 5 and the pipe 3;/

Figure 6 shows a modified torni ot the delivery end of pipe 3;

Figures Y and 8 iliustrate still further modified forms oi the deliveryends ot Pire 3; Y

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view ot the connection between thetank 8' and the standpipe 11i; and

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic illustrati-on ot a niodied form ot standpipe11.

1n order that the precise invention may be the more clearlyunderstoochpit is said 2*-- One of the advantages ot this cooling systemresides in the tact that Aonly that part ofthe radiator which is activeis filled with liquid, and therefore theainount of radiatingV4 surfacewhich is in contact with the liquid to be cooled varies trom time totime with the amount of liquidl which is ilowing from the cooling jacketof the motor to the radiator.l` y p y In operating the conventional orstandard liquid cooling systems on the other hand, the followingdiliiculties have been encountered: During cold weather, it the oldersystems are completely filled with water and the heat of circulation isshut olf from the radiator by thermostatic or other means while themotoris warming up, the radiator is apt tofreeze due to the entireradiator core being in contact with the liquid, andvtheretore coolingsuch a large quantity ofA liquid that the engine cannot heat it upsutliciently fast during `the peri-od of starting. In the system of thisinvention, however, this objection is. overcome by using only asuliicient area ot .the radiator core to reduce the teinperature ot therelatively Small quantity of liquid present, down to a desired point. Inother words, with this invention under like loads and when the enginejacket is warming up, there is very little of the radiator core activeor filled with liquid. while under heavy loads or during hot weather,practically all the radiating surface is active, so

that the amount of liquid present in the core may be said'to varyinversely with the teniperat-ui'e oitv the engine acket.

In, the drawings, 1 indicates any suitable engine provided with a jacket2 from which leads the connection 3 to the tank .9 disposed below thecore 5 of the radiator 6, as Shown. 7 indicates the lower radiator tankwhich is divided into two tanks or compartments 8 and 9 by the partition10. 11 vindicates a vertically disposed controlling standpipe,receptacle, or chamber, located in the tank or compartment S, andconnected at its bottom with the pipe or passage 12, while its upper end15.- isy lett open as shown. A'small passage or opening 1li joinsthebottom ot chamber 11l with the tank, or compartment 8, fora purposethat will presently appear. 15 indicates a pipe leading from the jacket2, to the pump'16; 17 indicates a connection between the pump 16 andpassage 12; and 18 indicates a valve in said connection. 19 is a chamberat the top ot pipe 15, and 20 a check valve in said chamber, controllingsaid pipe 15. l

The partition 10 is provided with a: small drain hole 21 to draw oit thewater from the'compartment or tank 9, and thus prevent freezing in coldweather. 22 designates a level indicating cock, 23 a manually controlledvalve for opening and closing the oriicel, and said valve is providedwith the supporting housing 24 disposed inside the tank 8, as shown. 3lindicates orifices Connecting tank 8 with orifice 14 and standpipe 1l,Isee Figure 9. 26 indicates a vent pipe extending from the upper tank2?" downwardly to the atmosphere, as shown, and 28 indi ,ates fillercap, through which the systeiii may be filled in the usual manner.V

'llie operation of this apparatus is as follows :M'llie system may befilled through the filler cap 28, or through any other suitable meansnot shown, until vthe level of the cock 22 is reached. ily ascertainedby leaving` the cock open. As th top '1.3 of the chamber or standpipe l1is disgosed above the level of cook 22, liquid in only small quantitiesvgoverned by the valve 23, can enter the said standpipe l1 and be suckedby the pump l5 and delivered back to the jacket 2 while the motor isheatingv up on starting. Due to this slow return or circulation ofliquid in the system, the jacket temperature will of necessity riserapidly as the inotor continues to run, and vapor and liquid will beforced through pipe 3, into tank 9, and through orifices Ll0, Fig. 3, upinto the radiator core 5, as indicateti by the arrows ll. Said liquidand vapor thus passing; from the tank 9 up into the passages o0 oi' theradiator core 5` to greater and greater heights as indicated by thearrows Lll, while the. engine `continues to heat up, these vapors willcondense and fall through the said passages and openings EL, backinto tle tank S as will be clear from Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The engine having,l beeoine lieatedto its workingtemperature, the liquidcollecting in the tank 8 will be quite hot and mixed with a considerableproportion of vapor, with the result that its level 33 will soon risesufficiently to overflow the top nf3 of the standpipe ll. lli/Then thishappens, the pump lo will have a very much larger supply of cooledliquid to draw from and will tlierefore introduce into thejacket a muchgreater volume than during the starting period of the engine. its theengine continues to heat up due to an increase of speed or-of the load,still greater quantities of vapor .will be introduced into the condensedliquid in tank 8, and the level 33 thereof will rise still higher abovethe top 13 of the controlling tank ll, so that the pump 16 will be fedto its capacity. Said capacity being sufficient, said pump vwill nowsupply enough cooled liquid to the jacket to prevent u t, se oftemperature, and the radiator passages will, also, new de filled to suchan extent as to cool a s cient quantity of liquid to ineet the nee ofthe jacket when the "in heat output from the engine is had.

lt is an equilibrium will be estaband the `system will functionnormally.

@n the other hand, when the load dereases.,v the heat output decreases,the lever 33 of the liquid and vapor falls,

rlhis level may be read-l the supply to the pump falls, and thetemperature of the jacket rises due to a smallerquantity of liquidpresent in the jacket to absorb the heat output of the engine. Thisinsufficient supply of cooled liquid inthe jacket immediately causes theproduction of an increasedy quantity of vapor, the condensation of thesaine in the core 5, and the rise of the level 33 until it againoverflows the top 13 of the controlling` standpipe ll, whereupon thecycle is re-V peated.

ln the somewhat inodiliedfoi'in of theV invention shown in Fig. ll, theconstructionris or may be substantially the saine as in Fies.

tor, it in'ay be provided with the perforatioiis 36, as illustrated,which perforations are iiiade to regis er with the perforationsAt-O inthe bottom of the radiator, as shown, so that more,pronounced jets maybe delivered into the passages 30 ofthe radiator core and thus niay themixed vapor and liquid de-v livered to said core be projected further upinto the core, as will be readily understood from the arrows in F ig. 3.'V

in the still further .modified forni the invention shown in F 6, the end3'? of the pipe 3 is provided with an elongated slit 38 which delivers asheet of mixed vapor and liquid, or of vapor alone, as the case may be,up through vthe orifices elfi into thek passages 30 ofthe radiator core5. In the illustration shown in Fig. 7, the end 37 of the pipe 3 isprovided with .cross-slits 39 which are adapted to register with theorifices l() illustrated in Figs. l and 5. y

In the form of the invention shown Y in F ig. 8, the end 37 of the pipe3 is provided with orifices such las the orifice 36 illustrated in Fig..5, but this end 37 of the pipe is made cylindrical with the main bodyportion of,v

the body, which is not the case in Fig. 5, and therefore it may beadjusted slightly in and out to regulate the sizes of the jets deliveredY to the passages 30 of the core 5.

In the somewhat modified forni of the invention diagrammaticallyillustrated in Fig.

10, the standpipe` llis provided with a der flector to prevent liquidfrom flowing down into said standpipe through the orifices 32 and thusfilling the saine before the level of t-he liquid reaches the top edge13 thereof.

It will thus be seen that in all the forms of this invention, the liquidin the tanks 8 and 9 normally exists up to a level 33 which is almostequal to'that of the top 33 ofthe controlling tanks 11 or 35', as thecase may be, that the controlling'tanks 11 or 35 are connected to thepump 16 by means of theV vof liquid can be fed into the jacket 2 by thepump, and consequently upon starting the engine the heat generated Willbe suiiicient to vaporize this liquid in a very short period of time.The result is the vapor Will enter the tank 9, pass in jets up into thepassages 30 of the radiator core 5, and be condensedl to a greater orless degree. In other Words, the mixture ofl condensed liquid and vaporWill flow down through the rear passages 30 of the radiator, through theorifices 32 of the bottom plate thereof, and back into the body ofliquid in tank 8. The vapor thus collectin the tank 8 will readily raisethe level 33 of the liquid therein, which Will, as the engine continuesto heat up, soon raise said level 33 sufficiently for it to overflow thetop 13 of the controlling tank 11 or 35, as the oase may be, Vwhereuponthe pump Will receive much great-er volume of liquid and vapor than itdid through the orifice 14; This volume of liquid and vapor, 0f course,possesses a greater coolingl effect on the engine than did thepreviously restricted volume of liquid passing through the orifice 14,but it Will not at first possess a sufficient cooling effect to preventit from being very quickly re-converted into vapor and sent back throughthe pipe 3 into the passages 30 of the radiator core 5. ln other Words,as the engine continues to heat up, greater and greater volumes of vaporpass through the pipe 3 into the passages 30 ofthe core 5 and saidpassages 30 are filled to higher and higher levels3 as are indicated bythe arrows 41 in Figs. 1 and 3. The greater volum-es of vapor passinginto the-radiator core, of course. carry still greater volumes of vaporback into the tank 8 and thus serve to still further raise the level 33of the liquid in said tank above the top 13 of the controlling tank 11.This raising of the level 33 in turn supplies the pipe withv a stillgreater volume of mix-ed liquid and vapor1 which has a still furthercooling effect upon the` engine jacket, and so on the process continuesuntil the cooling effect on the engine is sufcient to prevent anyfurther yrise in the vapor or mixed vapor and liquid that is nowdelivered through the pipe 3 to the passages 30 of the core 5. lhen thiscondition olotains, an equilibrium of operation is reached pressure ofthe mixed vapor and liquid passing into the passages 30 of the radiatorWill decrease, Which in turn will decrease the level of the liquid inthe tank 8. Whenever this said level falls very slightly below the topedge 13 of the controlling tank 1l,

then the temperature of the fluid delivered through the pipe 3 to theradiator core Will increase and thus will more vapor enter the tank 8and cause the -level 33 to rise so high as to supply to the jacket asufficient quantity l of fluid to take care yof the entire output of theengine no mat-ter what that might be.

In yothervvord's,V the operation of the invention' automaticallycontrols itself to maint-ain. the level 33 of the liquid in the I tank 8at or about the level ofthe top of the controlling tank andy saidoperation so acts as to reduce said level'belovv' said edge 13 when saidlevel gets too high, and to raise said level abovefthe edge 13 when saidlevel' f# gets too low, so that the system is entirely self-regulating.v

The foregoing operation presupposes that the'system only contains theliquid that was filled'up tothe level 33 in' tank 8, in which case thesystemy will function substantially as a Wet'vapor or steam coolingsystem. In such a system it will be observed that the rate at which heatis transferred in the radiator to the air from the hot vapor and liquiddepends upon the quantity. of fluid delivered per unit oftime throughthe pipe 3, and'th at this quantity, in turn, depends upon the pressureand speed'of'the fluid in said pipe. It

ivillibe-further observed that the area of the efficient active surfaceofthe radiatorcore at any given time will likewise depend upon thepressure and the velocity of the fluid in the pipe 3. The velocity ofthe fluid in said pipe in turn will depend upon the sizesiof theorifices 40, and other obstructions met Wit-h in the discharge. of thehot Huid' into the radiator core 5. But' should the jacket 2 also bepartially -filled'with liquid as by well known means. not shown. or bypumping the'liquid'out of the tank 8. and then re-filling said tank,thesystem will function as a mixed liquid and vapor cooling system,

lll() according-to the. amount of liquidvr initially l placed inthejacket.

` InVV such case, it' would take a longer time for the engine' to heatyup onV starting` but due to the very slorv'circulation through therestricted or1fice14', the engine Will heat up more rapidly/'thanwouldbe the ease, if the inorerapid circulation of the prior systems wereemployed; Insuch ease. the radiator core 5, Would' also' be partiallyfilled with liquid, and.th'e'fcontrollingtank 11 or 35 would havetoe-Xtend up to or slightly beycnd the level of' the liquid in theradiator core.

lilfliat is claimed is l. The process of operating' an engine coolingsystem comprising a jacket and an upfiow radiator which consists insupplying to said jacket While the engine is running alteriately toolittle and too much cooling fluid to continuously maintain the jackettemperature at a predetermined point; and alternately subjecting thefluid to a cooling action in the radiator varying with the pressure ofsaid fluid leaving said jacket.

2. The process ot' operating a fluid cooling system for an engine Whilethe same is running which consists in subjecting the fluid tocoolingaction varying in proportion to the pressure of said fluid; andreturning the cooled fluid to the jacket in amounts proportionate to thecooling act-ion to maintain the jacket temperature constant.

3. In a cooling` system for engines the combination of a jacket; anupflo\v radiator; means associated With the system adapted to supply tosaid jacket automatically and alternately too little and too muchcooling fluid to continuously maintain said jacket at a. predetermineddesired temperature; and means associated with the system forautomatically and alternately supplying heated fluid from said jacket ingreater and lesser quantities to higher and lower cooling portions ofsaid rip-flow radiator to cool said fluid.

*1l-. ln a cooling` system for engines the com bination of a jacket; anup-flow radiator connected to said jacket by a. passage; and meanscomprising a controlling tank and a return connection for automaticallycausing the rate of heat transfer from the cooling fluid to the air tovary With the pressure exist-ing in said passage.

5. In a cooling system for engines the combination'of a jacket; anup-flow radiator; a connection between said radiator and said jackettofdeliver heated fluid to said radiator: a return connection comprisinga controlling tank and a pump between said radiator and jacket adaptedto automatically cause, While the engine is running; the active surfaceof said radiator to increase withthe pressure and velocity of the fluidpassing from said jacket to said radiator.

6. In a cooling system for engines thev combination of a jacket; anupfloyv radiator: means for passing hot Huid from said combination of ajacket; an up-fioW radiator; means for passing hot fluid from said acketupwardly into said radiator; means com prising a controlling tankprovided With an adjustable restricted orifice for automatically7 Whilethe engine is running, passing the cooled fluid from said radiator tosaid jacket alternately in quantities too small and too great tocontinuously maintain the jacket at a desired constant temperature.

8. n a cooling system for engines the combination of a jacket; anup-flow radiator; means for passing hot fluid from said jacket todifferentdistances upwardly vinto said radiator accordingto the varyingtemperatures in said jacket; means comprising a pump anda controllingtank provided with an adjustable restricted orifice for automatically;While the engine is running; 'passing the cooled fluid from saidradiator tosaid jacket alternately in quantities too small and too greatto continuously maintain the acket at a desired constant temperature.

The process of operating a cooling sysi tem for an internal combustionengine involving the circulation olfa liquid vbetween the jacket and aradiator which consists in subjecting a limited supply of liquid to thecooling action of said radiator While the 'engine is heating up in orderto quickly raise the temperature of said liquid to its lpoint oivapouization; increasing the supply -of liquid to the jacket after saidtemperature has been raised; and alternately supplying toc unich and toolittle liquid to said jacket to continuously maintain the jackettemperature at a predetermined point.

l0. The process of operating a cooling systcm comprising an engine, ajacket7 an up flow radiator and a pump which consists in limiting thesupply of cooling liquid to said jacket belowr that necessary to loivervthe temperature thereof until said tempera-Y ture rises above the pointof vaporization oi said liquid; causing the pressure of' theY vapor thusproduced to dischargev said vapor into said up fioiv radiator; andcausing said last named action vto increase the supply of liquid to saidjacket to a quantity sufficient to prevent any further increasein thetemperature of said jacket.

ll. rlhe process of operating a fluid cool.- ing system for an engineWhile the same is running, said system comprising a jacket, a. radiator,and fluid conducting passages therebetween, which consists in subjectingthe fluid to the cooling action of said radiav tor proportionately Vtothe pressure of the fluid leaving said jacket; land returning the cooledfluid to said jacket in quantities anni# cientto `maintain thetemperature-of'said jacket substantially constant.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WELLINGTON W. ivnra.

llO

